The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are together the largest federal government department. DND/CAF share a unique relationship in the Government of Canada; we are the only department where military members work alongside civilians (non-military members). Together, we form The Defence Team, which is comprised of over 100,000 employees, including:
The Governor General of Canada is the Commander-in-Chief of Canada. DND is headed by the Minister of National Defence, a federal Cabinet Minister. The Deputy Minister of National Defence is the Department’s senior civil servant. The CAF are headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada’s senior serving officer. Each has different responsibilities:
In most respects, DND is an organization like other departments of government. It is established by a statute, the National Defence Act, which sets out the Minister’s responsibilities, including the Minister’s responsibility for the Department and the CAF. Under the Act, the CAF are an entity separate and distinct from the Department.
The Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence have complementary roles to play in: